Milking apparatus.



w. H. LAWRENCE.

MILKING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Doc. 20, 1897.)

Patented July 4, I899.

(No Model.)

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No. 628,338. Y mm July 4, I899 w. u. LAWRENCE.

IILKING APPARATUS.'-

(Application fllad Doc. 20, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

WILLIAM HENRY LAWRENCE, OF POLLOKSHIELDS, SCOTLAND;

MILKIING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,338, dated J uly 4,1899.

Application filed December 20, 1897. Serial No. 662,601. (No model.)

' ain and Ireland, residing at Pollokshields, in

the county of Glasgow, Scotland, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Milking Apparatus, (for part ofwhich-I have obtained aBritish patent, dated July 2, 1 S96,No.14,619, and for the remainder ofwhich I have applied for a British patent, to be-dated April 7, 1897,No. 8,846,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to render more perfect and practicallysuccessful and satisfactory the action of milking apparatus" whichoperates by suction combined with pulsation.

In carrying out myinvention I employ suction-producing apparatus whichis to some extent of a kind heretofore proposed to be used for the samepurpose, but to which I add improved automatic valve mechanism, and Iapply similar valve mechanism to the pulsation-producing apparatus, thisapparatus being also otherwise improved, as hereinafter explained. Inpulsation apparatus, as is well understood, it is necessary that thedegree or strength of the suction should at the cups applied to a cowsteatsvary between a maximum not so great as toinjure the teats anda'minimum not so small as to cause the cupsto drop off the teats. It hasbeen proposed to produce the desired pulsation by apparatus arranged tointermittently admit air of atmospheric pressure to diminish-thestrength of the suction. It has also been proposed to intermittentlydiminish the strength of the suction by admitting air of less thanatmospheric pressure, such pressure being regulated so as not to causethe teat-cups to drop off the teats. I adopt the last-mentionedarrangement, but in an improved manner. My improved pulsation-producingapparatus is of the kind which can be placed at any convenient distancefrom the main suction-producing machine or apparatus and which is madeto operate by the suction itself. Such pulsation apparatus is connectedto a main suction-pipe or to a branch pipe therefrom, in which themaximum suction is maintained, and the pulsating action is unaffected bythe extent of the main or branch suction-pipes. According to my presentin vontion the pulsation apparatus is also connected to a second main orbranch pipe in which the minimum suction is maintained, this minimumsuction being obtained and regulated by means of apparatus placed nearthe main suction-producing apparatus or at any convenient distancetherefrom.

My improved apparatus is shown on three accompanying sheets ofexplanatory drawings. v

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the suctionproducing apparatuswiththeimproved automatic valve mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of theapparatus for obtaining and regulating the minimum suction. Figs. 3 to 8show the pulsation-producing apparatus, Fig. 3 being'a plan, Figs. 4 and5 elevations as at right'angles to each other, Fig. 6 a verticalsection, and Figs. 7 and 8 enlarged vertical and horizontal sections ofthe pulsation cylinder and valve details. Fig. 9 is an enlargedsectional View of part of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional Viewof part of Fig. 7. Fig. 11 is a-section 011 the line A B,

view of part of- Fig. 6 as the section Fig. 6.

The suction-producing apparatus, Fig. 1, consists of two closed cisternsA A in one, A, of which is a ball-float B, fixed to a bellcrank lever,one arm 13 of which is connected by a spring B to a lever B connected bya link B to a valve-rod C. At the completion of each stroke or movementthe levers B B are nearly parallel, their centers being on a line whichbisects the angles between the extreme positions of the levers. As thelever B moved by the float proceeds from one extreme toward the other itdoes not move the lever B until it has carried the connectingspring Bjust past a line passing through the center or fulcrum of the lever Band the point of that lever to which the spring is attached. The springB is then in a stretched condition and acts suddenly and forcibly inpulling the lever 13 over or to its opposite extreme position. Thevalve-rod G moves a at right angles to distribution piston-valve O,fitted to work in a cylindrical valve-box O fixed so as to be partly inone cistern A and partly in the other, A two ports opening one into eachFig. 10; and Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional cistern. The valve-box ismade with three other ports, a middle one communicating with adischarge-pipe D and the other two communicating with a pipe E, throughwhich is supplied from any convenientsource water of a pressuresufficient for filling either cistern. The valve-piece C is made withtwo recessed parts which form communications, according to the positionof the valve, between the cistern-ports and the discharge and supplyports. In the drawings, one cistern A is shown as just filled with waterand with its port just put into communication with the discharge-pipe D,while the other cistern A is just beginning to receive a fresh supply ofwater. The valve-rod C is not fixed to the valve-piece C, but passesthrough a central bore formed therein, and it acts on the val vepiece bycollars fixed on it, so as to have a small extent of play. The purposeof this is that the spring B when shifting the lever B may start thelever and the rod 0 Well into motion before the resistance of thevalve-piece G is encountered.

Suction is produced in the cistern A or A fromwhich the water is at anytime being discharged by the Weight of the column of water in thedischarge-pipe D, which is extended downward to a length of about twelvefeet, (or whatever length corresponds to what is considered to be asuitable maximum strength of suction,) the lower end being sealed bydipping into water or having a nonreturn valve fitted to it.

At the top of each cistern A A there is a valve F F, opening inward,controlled by a diaphragm and spring F F, adjusted so that the valveopens only when the strength of suction in the cistern reaches thepredetermined maximum, and when either valve is opened it makescommunication with a pipe F, which is, or is connected to, the mainmaximum-suction pipe of the apparatus. The cistern A, in which is thefloat B, has at the top of it an outlet check-valve F for the escape ofair when the cistern is being filled with water, and the other cistern Ahas a double-acting valve F to which is attached a small float F ,-thevalve opening to allow air to escape when the cistern is filling withwater and closing by the action of the float if the water rises toohigh.

Fig. 2, which represents the minimum-suction apparatus, is drawn to aconsiderably larger scale than that of Fig. 1. This minimum-suctionapparatus is connected by a branch pipe F to the maximum-suction pipe F.hat may be termed a minimum-suction reservoir G, which may be of anysuitable size, is connected to the maximum-suction branch pipe F througha port controlled by a conical valve G, the spindle of which is fixed toand extends through a flexible diaphragm G and has a loaded lever Gapplied to it externally. The diaphragm G being acted on by the externalatmospheric pressure causes the valve G to close on the suction in thereservoir G becoming stronger than that decided to be the minimumsuction, the valve opening when the suction in the reservoir G is not sostrong as it should be. In order to prevent the suction in the reservoirG from remaining too strong, a second valve G is provided, its spindlebeing fixed to a flexible diaphragm G and acted on by a loaded lever G.When this valve is opened by the action of atmospheric pressure on thediaphragm G it admits some air from a pipe G which may extend to anydesired distance, so as to receive air which is uncontaminated. A pipe Hconnects the minimum-suction apparatus with the pulsation apparatus,next to be described.

In the pulsation apparatus, Figs. 3 to 8, the maximum-suction pipe F isconnected to a milk-receptacle J, and the minimum suction H, Fig. 2, isconnected by a flexible branch tube or otherwise to a pipe H. Thepulsating action is produced by means of a doubleended or elongatedpiston K, working in a cylinder K, middle parts being, as it were, cutaway from the upper halves of both piston and cylinder. Thecylinder-passages K are partly in an upper piece K which in a centralcylindrical chamber formed in it has a four-way oscillating valve L,which puts the cylinder-passages alternately in communication with inletand exhaust passages K one being connected by a pipe K with theminimum-suction branch pipe H and the other by a pipe K with a pipe M,in which the maximum suction acts, this pipe M forming a connectionbetween the pulsation apparatus and the milk-receptacle J, in which themaximum suction is maintained by means of the pipe F and which isotherwise closed during a milking operation. The pipe M also serves as aconvenient handle for lifting the pulsation apparatus when transferringit from one receptacle to another, a bracket M on the apparatus bearingagainst the receptacle when the apparatus is in position.

The valve L is moved by a part L, which moves partly with it and isitself moved by means of a crank-pin L formed on it and acted on likethe valve-lever B Fig. 1, hereinbefore described. On a stud fixed in thecylinder there is centered a lever N, which extends between the valveand the cylinder at the part where the cylinder and piston are cut away,and this lever is moved by a stud N on the piston. A helical spring Nconnects the end of the lever N to the crank-pin L of the valve L L.As'in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 and hereinbefore described,thecenters of the lever Nand valve crank-pin I, bisect the angles betweenthe extreme positions of the lever and crank-pin, and when the lever isby the action of the piston moving from one extreme position to theother it does not move the valve crank-pin L until the line of thespring (which is between the two) just crosses the axis of the valve,but then the spring, which isin astretched condi- ICC tion, forcibly andquickly' shifts the valve Y R is encircled by'a perforated cone R, whichover. The piece L, directly acted on by the spring, is fitted to thevalve L with a small extent of play between clutch-like engaging parts,so that motion of the piece L is well started before the resistance ofthe valve is encountered. With the view of still further insuring theproper action of the valve the lever N is made with horns N which strikethe valve crank-pin L as the lever reaches either of its extremepositions. The rate at which the piston works is adjusted or regulatedby means of conical pointed screw-plu gs P, by means of which the freepassage through the cylinder-passages K is regulated, these plugsprojecting more orless into holes formed in small plates fixed in thejoints between the cylinder K and the valve-piece K The piston K hasformed in its under side a recess Q like that of an ordinaryslide-valve,

. which as the piston moves works over three ports Q Q Q these portscommunicating with passages in a piece R, fixed to the under side of thecylinder K. One port, Q, and passage communicate with theminimum-suction pipe H and another, Q with the maximumsuction pipe M.The middle port Q which the piston-recess Q puts alternately incommunication with the other two, communicates with a pipe R, dippingdown to near the bottom of a glass vessel R (which may be an ordinaryglass tumbler.) The vessel R is held in position by a bottom plate Rconnected by springs to the piece R, the upper edge of the vesselbearing up against a ru bber ring. This arrangement allows of the glassvessel B being easily detached when required. Outside of the pipe R" thevessel R is in communication with a space formed in the piece R and withnozzles Rf, having stop-cocks and which are to be connected to theteat-cups by means of flexible tubing. Within the piece R the upper partof the pipe R has perforations made in it, which are encircled by a tubeor band R of thin rubber, the upper edge of which is slit between theholes to facilitate its opening like a valve. The maximum suction causesmilk to be drawn frow the cows teats into the vessel R whence it passesup the pipe B, through the piston-valve recess Q, and through the pipe Minto the receptacle J. When from the movement of the piston the middleport Q and pipe R are put in communication with the minimum-suction pipeH, the greater actual pressure of the minimum suction acting in the pipeR causes the rubber band B to expand and, acting like a valve, to allowair to pass above the milk in the vessel R without having to force itsway through the milk. When this is taking place, the vessel R is quiteshut off from the milk-receptacle J, so that the larger pressure of theminimum suction has not to be distributed over the large internal spaceof the milk-receptacle. The lower part of the pipe R in the glass vesselacts as a strainer to prevent foreign matters passing with the milk tothe milk-receptacle J.

What I claim as my invention is v 1. In milking apparatus operating bysuction, the combination of two cisterns alternately filled with water,which water descends from each alternately, a pipe for said waterdescent extending downward to a length corresponding to the strength ofmaximum suction desired, an automatic distribution-valve and a float inone of the cisterns to move said valve, with a lever moved by the float,a valvelever which shifts the valve, and a spring connecting said twolevers, whose centers are on a line bisecting the angles between theextreme positions of the levers, the float-lever consequently at eachstroke moving the connecting-spring across the center of the valveleverbefore moving the latter, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a milking apparatus operating with maximum and minimum strengthsof suction, a minimum-suction reservoir having a suitably-loaded valvein combination with a branch pipe from the maximum-suction pipecontrolled bythe valve, a flexible diaphragm fixed to the valve andacted on externally by atmospheric pressure, and also anothersuitably-loaded valve, an air-inlet pipe controlled by the latter, and aflexible diaphragm acted on externally by atmospheric pressure and fixedto said'second loaded valve,substanti ally as herein set forth.

3. In milking apparatus operated by suction and having at a distancefrom the main suction-producing apparatus pulsation-producing apparatusworked by suction, im-

proved pulsation-producing apparatus consisting of a cylinder having adouble-ended or elongated piston, provided with a valverecesscontrolling these ports comm unicating, one with the teat-cups, thesecond with a milk-receptacle in which the maximum suction ismaintained, and the third with a pipe in which the minimum suction ismaintained, in combination with a distribution-valve in said cylinder, acrank-pin on the valve, a lever moved by the piston, and a springconnecting the crank-pin and lever, the axis of the valve and itscrank-pin being in a line which also passes through the axis of thelever and bisects the angles between the extreme positions of thecrank-pin and lever, the lever consequently not moving the crankpinuntil it has moved the spring across the axis of the valve,substantially as herein set forth.

4. A pulsation producing apparatus having a cylinder with passagesconnecting the opposite ends of the cylinder with other parts of thesaid apparatus, plates with holes fixed cylinder, an oscillating valvein said passages,

and means for operating said valve to control the movements of thepiston, as and for the purpose described.

5. In a milking apparatus, the combination of a suction-producing meansand piping with a milk-receptacle, a d etachable pulsation-prod ucingdevice mounted on the milk-receptacle and provided with a curved pipeconnecting the pulsation-prod ucing device with the milk- IO receptacleand serving as a handle for the pulsation-producing device,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY LAIVRENCE.

Witnesses:

EDMUND I-IUNT, DAVID FERGUSON.

